Developmental Psychology The Study of the Progressive Development Of the Human Being From Conception to Death IT EMPHASIZES CHARACTERISTIC CHANGES IN ATTITUDES, BEHAVIORS, INTERESTS AND GOALS WHEN THEY OCCUR, WHAT CAUSES THE CHANGES AND IF THEIR INDIVIDUAL OR UNIVERSAL

It Helps Answer Questions About Happenings in Our Life And Why We Have the Feelings We Have Throughout Life

Why? Can we no longer communicate with our 19 year old Do I hate my husband, job and family at 42 Why is my former A student 13 year old now is getting D’s DEV. PSYCY HELPS US UNDERSTAND ERRATIC, NOT ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR.

Age Structures This is how we will study development. How each age impacts our development We will look at norms TALK ABOUT INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES NOT BEING ABHERRENT.

Philosophical Roots of Developmental Psychology WHY DO HUMAN BEINGS START SO SIMIILIAR AND END SO DIFFERENT? THERE ARE SEVERAL THEORIES

Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Humans born selfish because of sins of Adam and Eve Goodness or badness is the result of overcoming our sinful nature IT’S THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN INBORN CHARACTERISTICS AND EXTERNAL INFLUENCES

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Swiss philosopher Claimed all humans possess innate goodness The goal of human development is to achieve ones inborn potential Sometimes the environment prevents this WE LEARN TO BE GOOD FROM OTHERS

John Locke British philosopher Tabula Rasa Adults mold children Differences in adults can be explained by the differences in their childhood environments YOU WILL SEE HOW DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES AND THEORIES REFLECT DIFFERNET IDEAS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT. YOU MUST CHOOSE WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU

Human Development As a Science Started With Darwin DEVELOPMENT STAGES COME FROM THE CONCEPT OF EVOLUTIONARY THEORY

First American to Study Development objectively G. Stanley Hall First American to Study Development objectively USED QUESTIONAIRRES AND INTERVIES TO STUDY LARGE NUMBERS OF CHILDREN

John Watson Defined Development in Terms of Behavioral Changes Caused by the Environment. Coined term behaviorism BELIEVED BY MANIPULATING THE ENVIROMENT CHILD COULD BE TRAINED TO DO ANYTHING.

Suggested That People Are Genetically Programmed to Change in Sequence Arnold Gesell Suggested That People Are Genetically Programmed to Change in Sequence Used the term maturation to describe change

Maturation Causes Development Regardless of Training Children will eventually learn to walk and talk through maturation Used movie cameras and two-way mirrors Findings used as the bases in tests to determine normal development.

One of the Most Influential Theories in Developmental Psychology Jean Piaget One of the Most Influential Theories in Developmental Psychology

Began Working on Intelligence Testing in 1918 Made detailed notes on daughters development Spent 60 years studying children’s thinking DEVELPED THEORY OF COGITIVE DEVELOPMENY

1918 Wrote Article: the Content of Children’s Minds on Entering School This represented the first scientific study in child development First to use norms to measure development TALKED ABOUT AVERAGE BEHAVIOR AT AVERAGE AGES

Because of Watson Popularity in USA, Little Attention Paid to Piaget Until the 1950’s Since then, it’s become the major theory on children’s thinking and behavior Piaget’s stages are the foundation of modern development psychology

Modern Developmental Psychology ------------------ TODAY, DEVELPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGISTS BELIEVE THAT OUR INNATE CHATACTERISTICS INTERACT WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN COMPLEX WAYS. TODAY IT IS BELIEVES THAT NORMS REPRESENT ONLY ONE WAY TO MEASURE CHANGE

Nature Vs. Nurture Argument Both influences are considered today

Inborn Biases Children are born with tendencies to respond in certain ways. We all have inborn biases I.E. Babies listen more to the beginning and ends of sentences WE DON’T CARE IF THIS IS INBORN OR LEARNED BUT THAT IT EXISTS

Babies Seem to Seek Out and React to Certain Kind of Experiences The effects, according to the nurture argument, of experience depends on the objective interpretation of the experience I.E. Your new haircut is a lot nicer then your old one YOUR REACTIONS TO THIS Are EFFECTED BY HOW YOU INTERPRET THE REMARK.

Current Feeling on Environmental Influence We must look beyond the influence of our immediate family We must understand the person’s whole ecology NEIGHBORHOOD, SCHOOL, OCCUPATION ETC. AN EXAMMPLE IS GERALD PATTERSON’S WORK ON DELINQUENCY

Vulnerability and Resilience Model

We All Have Vulnerabilities, Emotions, Alcohol, Drugs, Physical Limitations We also have protective factors like intelligence and coordination These things interact on the environment to determine our behavior I.E. HIGH VULNERABILITY AND LOW RESILIENCE PRODUCES POOR RESULTS

Today, Developmental Psychologists Study Three Age Related Changes

Universal Changes Common to the individual and linked to specific ages I.E. Infants shifting from crawling to walking

Social Clock Changes Defining life's experiences relative to particular timeframes I.E. Time to start school, get married, start a career. This establishes norms, like ageism Leads to stereotypes like negativism towards senior citizens SOCIAL CLOCKS ALSO LOOKS AT SHANGES SPECIGIC TO GROUPS AND COHORT CHANGES I.E IMPACTS OF LIFE ON VIETNAM VETS

Individual Changes The genetic and environmental influences on the individual Individuals are impacted by critical periods A. Times when individuals are sensitive to certain things. Sometimes called sensitive periods ATTACHMENT AT 6 TO 12 MONTHS

On and off Time Events Are Impacting Widowhood at 30 is more impacting then at 70. WE ALSO LOOK AT ATYPICAL INDIVVDUAL CHANGE LIKE ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR

The Lifespan Perspective

Life Expectancy Is Now 76 Years Up from 49 years in 1900 Older adults constitute a larger portion of the population Large growing cohort is people over 100 LIFESPAN PERSPEDTIVE STATES THAT CHANGES MUST BRE INTERPRETED WITHIN THE CULTURE AND CONTEXT THEY OCCUR.

Research Dealing With the Collection and Analysis of Data to Determine Quantifiable Solutions THEORY IS A GENERALIZTION ABOUT FACTS. AN AXIOM OR HYPOTHESIS Research uses the scientific method

Scientific Method Define problem Develop hypothesis Test hypothesis Disseminate findings

Research Process Define problem Define important terms Literature search Determine research methodology Collect and analyze data Conclusion, summaries and recommendations

Development Psychologists Have Four Approaches Available to Study the Lifespan Longitudinal A. Looking at a group or individual for a long period of time Cross-sectional A. Looking at individuals or groups at the same period of time

Sequential Design Using Small Sequences of Samples, Some Longitudinal, Some Cross-sectional and Then Comparing Them

Time Lag Approach Looking at a Cohort Group at Different Times and Trying to Compare and Contrast the Findings THIS IS USED TO HELP CONTROL AGE/TIME VARIABLES